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Charity ride nets nearly $300,000 for children of fallen soldiers

Charity ride nets nearly $300,000 for children of fallen soldiers
More than 300 motorcycles take part in American Legion’s three-day Legacy Run

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 24, 2012) -- More than 300 motorcycles pulled into Indianapolis Thursday, bringing with them more than $215,000 that will go toward providing college scholarships for the children of slain servicemembers. The American Legion’s seventh annual Legacy Run, a charity ride that this year encompassed five states and more than 700 miles, departed New York on Aug. 21 with American Legion Riders from all 50 states in the ride.
Nearly $74,000 had been contributed to The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund – which provides college scholarships for the children of U.S. servicemembers killed on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001 – prior to the ride, bringing this year’s Legacy Run donation total to $289,181. More money will be donated during The American Legion National Convention in Indianapolis next week.
“This shows nothing is impossible,” said American Legion National Commander Fang A. Wong, who accompanied the Legacy Run and rode on a motorcycle during a leg of the ride. “There is great leadership at this event, and the Riders ability to raise this amount of money in this short period of time is rally unbelievable.”
The first American Legion Legacy Run took place in 2006. The six prior Legacy Runs netted more than $2.6 million for the Legacy Fund.
“It shows our commitment, our dedication and our respect to all those great warriors who sacrificed their lives for us, and it shows our commitment to taking care of those they left behind,” Wong said. “This fund and what it does serve as a memory of and tribute to those men and women who sacrificed so much for our country.”